The Rebel League

Chapter 26- Checkmate

The King, to my surprise, smiled viciously and raised his chin. "You wouldn't."

I pressed the blade harder against Estella's throat. "Try me." My voice didn't betray me, thankfully, but my unfamiliarity with the King's abilities still made me nervous. The wicked grin across his face was evidence enough that he'd read my thoughts.

"Look at that." He said, raising his palm. "You've got yourself into a situation of no return. You now have two choices: one, kill the girl, or two, join me and my crusade." A flashing red ball of energy ignited in his hand.

I tried to keep my mind steady by thinking of nothing, but naturally that was hard. So instead I pictured myself slicing Estella's throat out. I saw all the blood and heard Estella's imaginary scream. Best of all, my mouth turned up at the corner.

This must've thrown the King off course a little, because he gasped and the energy ball dissipated. Even better, I felt Estella go slack in my choke hold.

"You normal again?" I asked, keeping the knife in place.

She made a groaning noise. "Yes, but I don't think my grandpa is."

I helped her up as the King glared daggers and stalked towards us, Anthony hot on his heels. "You're smarter than you look kid, I'll give you that."

Suddenly, something seized my throat and threw me back into the door. Well, the red wall where the door was supposed to be. It had the same feeling as an acrobatics mat, so naturally I bounced off and face-planted right in front of all my teammates. Ironic, really.

My nose started bleeding, which I'm sure made me look much more handsome. If it was up to me, I'd say it was bruised, but Kira was probably already swearing behind that wall.

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"Dear god he's a dumbass!" Kira shouted. "This is bullshit! Someone break this goddam psychic trampoline down so I can shove my powder down this guy's throat!"

Joel put a hand on Kira's shoulder. "Calm down there."

"No, she's right." Thea marched up to the wall and slammed her good first into it, which preceded to bounce back into her nose. "Gah! Damn wall."

"How do we get past it?" Ella asked, looking from her mallet to the wall as if she was judging how hard she'd have to hit it.

Briannon ran a single claw gently across the red energy, leaving a thin white line behind like a scar. "It's made of pure telekinetic energy. You won't break it by force. The only person that can bring it down is someone else with the King's powers."

Joel cursed as Kira and Thea kept bashing away at the wall with no progress. He watched the King send out a beam of red energy and Harley flip effortlessly over it. Estella was trying to get close enough to stab the King with Harley's knife, but she kept getting spotted and pushed back again. The two of them were visibly sweating, Joel noticed, meaning they couldn't keep going for much longer.

"Wait." Ruby whispered beside him. "I have an idea." Before Joel could ask what it was, she kissed him and dashed off down the hallway. "I love you." She called back, rounding the corner and vanishing out of sight.

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Ruby sprinted as fast as her short-ish legs could take her. The training facility was still in the same condition that it was left in, with weapons sprawled across the ground on one half and two unconscious Samurai on the other.